Archive for the ‘Weeds’ Category

Hold In Confinement

Some plants are incredibly aggressive. Herbicides like Roundup™ won’t phase them. They often escape and take over other areas of your garden or neighborhood. Four notorious examples are ditch lilies (Hemerocallus fulva), swamp milkweed (Asclepias incarnata), Mexican petunia (Ruellia brittoniana), and pink evening primrose (Oenothera speciosa). You can grow these four weedy offenders in confinement. All will survive […]

Avoid Spotted Spurge in Lawn And Garden Beds

Spotted spurge (Euphorbia maculata) is a dreadful perennial weed that can quickly take over a lawn or garden bed. It often grows in poor compacted soils or in-between cracks in pavement. Once established, it is difficult to eliminate it from your garden. Ideal temperature range for seed germination is 75 to 85 °F, and spurge will germinate […]

Timing Critical For Applying Crabgrass Preventive

              To control crabgrass and other lawn weeds, 1. maintain a vigorous healthy turf so weeds can’t get established, and  2. apply the proper pre-emergent herbicide at the right time. Pre-emergent herbicides do not kill weeds; they prevent weed seeds from germinating. It’s that simple. Timing is important! In many states […]

Stop Inviting Critters to Your Property

Landscaping practices can influence pest populations. Old landscape timbers, particularly those that are partially rotted, may provide food for termites. powder post beetles, and carpenter ants. Numbers of millipedes, earwigs, crickets, sowbugs, and clover mite larvae may be greatly reduced if piled up old branches and boards are properly disposed of. Mosquito populations rise in wet summer weather […]

What You Should Know About Herbicides

              By definition a weed is any plant that you don’t want in your garden. Herbicides are vegetation killers and  classified as a pesticide that kills weeds. When used incorrectly, herbicides may injure good plants as well. Always read and understand the package directions before using. In a lawn or garden, you may be trying […]

All About Thistles

                Some weeds are very nasty and on top of my list are the dreadful thistles. Learn the lifecycles of those in your region and the proper method to eliminate them. Canada thistle (Cirsium arvense) is a perennial species found in many areas of the eastern U.S. Other thistles in my region are bull and […]

Getting Rid Of Poison Ivy

              Poison ivy (Toxicodendron radicans) is a woody perennial vine or small shrub that is grows wild in fields, woodlands, and home landscapes. As a vine, poison ivy has 3-leaf (trifoliate) compound leaves; leaf margins may be entire or tri-lobed. It is frequently misidentified as Virginia creeper (Parthenocissus quinquefolia), which has compound […]

What Roses Need

              A goal of most rose gardeners (rosarians) is to grow them almost maintenance free. The improved shrub roses introduced almost two decades ago have brought this too reality. Rose series such as Knockout®, Home Run®, Drift®, OSO Easy®, Carefree® and Meidiland™ are among the best. No matter the pedigree of the rose, selecting a […]

All About Mulches

                Mulches aid in retaining soil moisture and reducing weeding chores. Over the years organically-based mulches gradually improve garden soils. Organic mulches are basically recycled bark, branches, twigs and leaves (including needles). Frequently they are organic by-products from the logging industry. Grass clippings and straw are also mulch sources. Hay is usually  full […]

Prep Garden Soil In The Fall

  Often, spring arrives with too many gardening chores to handle. Some work can be shifted to the fall. Since a garden is only as good as its soil, fall is a good time to till your garden or to construct new beds. Add soil amendments such as deciduous leaves and pine needles which nature is providing for free. Till amendments […]